why has this not happened yet?

[lefty08]

I drive the state for my job, most of which is spent staring through the windshield thinking about a lot of odd things. It gets worse on a Friday when I'm 3 hours from home and the sun is setting, so forgive me here, but a crazy thought exploded into my head last night and I wanted to get it out there.

In an age of trying to maximize game day experience and attendance, why have no major conference schools tried something like this? Could it be the massive overhead? The half empty campuses in the summers? The overall size of the college town not warranting it? Is it against NCAA bylaws in some way? Of the latter I have no clue, but the others are all areas where I think the university and NWA could be outliers.

Ok. I've made you wait long enough so here goes.


What about an enormous on campus hotel?

Before you call me an idiot hear me out. The university is nestled into a major, fast growing area. Bud Walton is still used year around to my knowledge (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) and Wal-Mart would probably welcome the idea of shareholders staying close to the arena for meetings.

Then there are game days. The hotels around the area fill up quickly and demand at least a 2 night stay. A high class on campus hotel could demand the same price for a 1 night stay (or more) Just for convenience. Could be an awesome way to watch a football game from the balcony of your room too.

I think an idea like this wouldn't work everywhere, but I believe it could be perfect for us. The university could offer room and tickets packages that would be more likely to sell out. 

I'm sure there are more advantages/disadvantages I'm not tapping into here. Just a glimpse into my lonely trips across this great state.

What do you guys think? Could it work?

[LZH]

I would assume that an enormous overhead would require the hotel to be pretty full year 'round, and I'm not sure it could attract enough patrons throughout the rest of the year.  JMO.

[lefty08]

I would assume that an enormous overhead would require the hotel to be pretty full year 'round, and I'm not sure it could attract enough patrons throughout the rest of the year.  JMO.

Yeah I wondered about that too. Not sure it would attract enough during the off season months to be successful once the novelty wore off. I know Wal-Mart has functions there, maybe it would be a way to attract more cooperations to the campus with different functions. Its just an idea, albeit a crazy one. Maybe it's crazy......

[Mike Irwin]

Not sure what you mean by enormous but many universities have an on campus hotel. Ole Miss has a really nice one which they use in recruiting. I have witnessed recruits checking in with their parents. Because it's owned and operated by the school the athletic department is able to pay for a recruit's parents meals and lodging.

[lefty08]

Not sure what you mean by enormous but many universities have an on campus hotel. Ole Miss has a really nice one which they use in recruiting. I have witnessed recruits checking in with their parents. Because it's owned and operated by the school the athletic department is able to pay for a recruit's parents meals and lodging.

I actually wasn't aware of that Mike, so it has been done. I can definitely see the advantages. I didn't think something like that could work in a smaller town, but after thinking about it, it may actually work better in a small town due to lack of competition. May help it sustain throughout the year

[greenie]

I was wondering the same thing since last weekend...I was just on the Auburn campus last weekend (I have a daughter the just graduated from there), and as we were driving across campus, lo and behold, they have what appears to be a very nice hotel on campus called "The Hotel at Auburn University."

http://www.auburn.edu/main/welcome/hotel.html

I think it would be a great idea.  Financially viable?  I think so, *if* you make it a destination for big events, college visits, VIPs (recruiting!!), faculty/staff recruiting, etc.  This probably means no frat parties.  It would need to be a nice place to stay.

[lefty08]

I was wondering the same thing since last weekend...I was just on the Auburn campus last weekend (I have a daughter the just graduated from there), and as we were driving across campus, lo and behold, they have what appears to be a very nice hotel on campus called "The Hotel at Auburn University."

http://www.auburn.edu/main/welcome/hotel.html

I think it would be a great idea.  Financially viable?  I think so, *if* you make it a destination for big events, college visits, VIPs (recruiting!!), faculty/staff recruiting, etc.  This probably means no frat parties.  It would need to be a nice place to stay.

Can you imagine a casino style buffet on game days? Holy crap!

[ballz2thewall]

Not sure what you mean by enormous but many universities have an on campus hotel. Ole Miss has a really nice one which they use in recruiting. I have witnessed recruits checking in with their parents. Because it's owned and operated by the school the athletic department is able to pay for a recruit's parents meals and lodging.

this.

and lefty, your idea is great. i've wondered about it myself everytime i hit the hill.

[Tequilin' Time]

there are indeed challenges but it has been done if a few instances.   The most successful is Houston.  Their Hospitality degree program known as Conrad Hilton College,  run a lot of it, so overhead reduced by involving education.
http://www.uh.edu/hilton-college/


another article on the challenges
http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Article/10876/Consistency-marks-college-hotel-markets

[lefty08]

this.

and lefty, your idea is great. i've wondered about it myself everytime i hit the hill.

Thanks, and admittedly I haven't traveled to many of our opponents stadiums. Guess I need to get out more. I had no idea it was happening

Do you think we would have an advantage with all the cooperate offices in the area? Seems it would make for more chances at conventions and such

[bphi11ips]

It's a great idea.  Arkansas has a very nice on-campus boutique hotel called Carnall Hall.  The prices are reasonable and the food is great. 

[Mike Irwin]

The University of Arkansas a has small (50 rooms) 4 star rated hotel on campus, a stone's throw from Ole Main.

Ole Miss' hotel has 140 rooms but is only rated as 3 1/2 stars.

The Razorback Foundation owns a large piece of property west of I-49 near Cato Springs Road. Some say a huge commercial and residential development is planned in that area. There was some discussion in this forum last fall about the possibility of a hotel owned and operated by either the Foundation or the athletic department being constructed on that property.

[ricepig]

http://www.uatrav.com/news/article_3f351dd2-6105-11e3-8dea-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=jqm

[bville_hog]

Well they have a hotel on campus already at Carnal Hall, don't think it is huge though.

http://innatcarnallhall.com

[Three and Snout]

Wal-Mart would probably welcome the idea of shareholders staying close to the arena for meetings.

They already use all the residence halls (except the one being used by summer school and international students) for the shareholders' meeting.

[Inhogswetrust]

I drive the state for my job, most of which is spent staring through the windshield thinking about a lot of odd things. It gets worse on a Friday when I'm 3 hours from home and the sun is setting, so forgive me here, but a crazy thought exploded into my head last night and I wanted to get it out there.

In an age of trying to maximize game day experience and attendance, why have no major conference schools tried something like this? Could it be the massive overhead? The half empty campuses in the summers? The overall size of the college town not warranting it? Is it against NCAA bylaws in some way? Of the latter I have no clue, but the others are all areas where I think the university and NWA could be outliers.

Ok. I've made you wait long enough so here goes.


What about an enormous on campus hotel?

Before you call me an idiot hear me out. The university is nestled into a major, fast growing area. Bud Walton is still used year around to my knowledge (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) and Wal-Mart would probably welcome the idea of shareholders staying close to the arena for meetings.

Then there are game days. The hotels around the area fill up quickly and demand at least a 2 night stay. A high class on campus hotel could demand the same price for a 1 night stay (or more) Just for convenience. Could be an awesome way to watch a football game from the balcony of your room too.

I think an idea like this wouldn't work everywhere, but I believe it could be perfect for us. The university could offer room and tickets packages that would be more likely to sell out. 

I'm sure there are more advantages/disadvantages I'm not tapping into here. Just a glimpse into my lonely trips across this great state.

What do you guys think? Could it work?

Being in or in businesses related to Hotel industry for 30 years as I have been IF an "enormous" hotel on campus made economic sense then it would already be there. Even the top ranked Hotel colleges do not have an "enormous" hotel on campus. Large some of them yes but not enormous. Perhaps there is a need for a larger one but I doubt enormous. I know there has been some discussion for a new larger one than already exists at Carnell Hall. There would not be enough room nights demand from simply games and one yearly Wal-Mart convention to warrant it. Building and running Hotels is done like any other business form an economic standpoint. Supply and Demand. There is a general misconception in the publics view that hotels (and airlines) are constantly filed up with meetings, conventions and tourist and that is not true for the most part. It is business travelers that fill those up. Even then MOST hotels are not full normally. Hotels in and around NWA are not all filled on game day anyway. ONLY the hotels in Fayetteville and/or Springdale are and sometimes not all of them are full. I've worked for and with companies that have hotels in the area and it is now tighter economically speaking for hotels there. Some say it already is overbuilt. All of that being said it would be nice to have a decent sized well run hotel with some conference space on campus. The UA had a golden opportunity to have a hotel when they could have bought what is now the Chancellor Hotel. Although it is not on campus it was built as a private/public endeavor with educational and meeting space and such in the building by the UA.

P.S. A lot of schools offering degrees in that filed have those students work there and they do some of their lab work in them.

[lefty08]

Lots of good info in this thread. Thanks for the posts guys, I had no idea about a lot of this stuff. Guess I should research a bit before throwing out wild ideas on here

[Mike Irwin]

Here is some information on the regional park part of the proposed South Pass project.

http://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2013/08/08/a-guide-to-fayettevilles-regional-park-plan/

The original investors went belly up. Jerry Jones bought a large piece of the property and donated to the Razorback Foundation. The city still has plans to construct a regional park there. If the rest of the project ever becomes viable the Foundation could either sell the property at a profit or develop it. 

[DEVIL DOG HOG]

A hotel with regular rooms on the lower levels and condos on the upper levels.

[Hawgzinbowlz]

http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Article/10876/Consistency-marks-college-hotel-markets

" GO HOGS "

[oldhawg]

Another example is the Wyndham Gardens hotel on the campus of the University of South Carolina:

"Our charming property is situated on the campus of the University of South Carolina, just steps away from the famous Horseshoe at USC and within walking distance to the State House, the Vista and the Five Points shopping, dining and entertainment complex."

[Pig in the Pokey]

I drive the state for my job, most of which is spent staring through the windshield thinking about a lot of odd things. It gets worse on a Friday when I'm 3 hours from home and the sun is setting, so forgive me here, but a crazy thought exploded into my head last night and I wanted to get it out there.

In an age of trying to maximize game day experience and attendance, why have no major conference schools tried something like this? Could it be the massive overhead? The half empty campuses in the summers? The overall size of the college town not warranting it? Is it against NCAA bylaws in some way? Of the latter I have no clue, but the others are all areas where I think the university and NWA could be outliers.

Ok. I've made you wait long enough so here goes.


What about an enormous on campus hotel?

Before you call me an idiot hear me out. The university is nestled into a major, fast growing area. Bud Walton is still used year around to my knowledge (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) and Wal-Mart would probably welcome the idea of shareholders staying close to the arena for meetings.

Then there are game days. The hotels around the area fill up quickly and demand at least a 2 night stay. A high class on campus hotel could demand the same price for a 1 night stay (or more) Just for convenience. Could be an awesome way to watch a football game from the balcony of your room too.

I think an idea like this wouldn't work everywhere, but I believe it could be perfect for us. The university could offer room and tickets packages that would be more likely to sell out. 

I'm sure there are more advantages/disadvantages I'm not tapping into here. Just a glimpse into my lonely trips across this great state.

What do you guys think? Could it work?

I think it's a pretty damn good idea, it just wasn't really happening with the whole other dump of a stadium stealing our team thing.

[Pig in the Pokey]

The University of Arkansas a has small (50 rooms) 4 star rated hotel on campus, a stone's throw from Ole Main.

Ole Miss' hotel has 140 rooms but is only rated as 3 1/2 stars.

The Razorback Foundation owns a large piece of property west of I-49 near Cato Springs Road. Some say a huge commercial and residential development is planned in that area. There was some discussion in this forum last fall about the possibility of a hotel owned and operated by either the Foundation or the athletic department being constructed on that property.

yeah, not sure who u must know to get a room there, though.

[Hogfaniam]

Tiger high has/had one in conjunction with Holiday Inn for their hospitality degree.

[lechon]

Brothel ?

[bphi11ips]

Brothel ?

SI says Oklahoma State has one on campus. 

[razorshark]

http://www.uatrav.com/news/article_3f351dd2-6105-11e3-8dea-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=jqm

I will tell you that they have already surveyed for the hotel.  My office was right outside of Reynolds and I watched them survey the property.  Dean Jones was pushing for this before he left for the Aggies.  He wanted to mirror the facilities like Houston and I believe Rice and market Executive Training on campus.  Where does it stand?  With all the changes going on with retirements and accepting out of state positions is going to stall this until we have someone with their foot on the pedal.
I know I was in on these meetings with Jones and others.   The You is waiting on a big donor to put their name on the facility and you will see progress.  But as usual the You is slow to react to anything

[ricepig]

I will tell you that they have already surveyed for the hotel.  My office was right outside of Reynolds and I watched them survey the property.  Dean Jones was pushing for this before he left for the Aggies.  He wanted to mirror the facilities like Houston and I believe Rice and market Executive Training on campus.  Where does it stand?  With all the changes going on with retirements and accepting out of state positions is going to stall this until we have someone with their foot on the pedal.
I know I was in on these meetings with Jones and others.   The You is waiting on a big donor to put their name on the facility and you will see progress.  But as usual the You is slow to react to anything

Yeah, I couldn't find the articles that had the later developments on this. I know they got a couple of proposals, and they tabled(?) them for future discussions.

[bphi11ips]

I have checked on rooms there several times, and there is never availability. You must have to book years in advance....

Not necessarily, but you do on game weekends. 

The Hotel was originally a women's dorm.  It is elegant in the same way that Old Main is elegant.  We don't build things that way anymore.  I've spent weeks at Carnall Hall while serving as a visiting professor at the law school and highly recommend it.  The only place I have found it to be lacking is in service, which is not up to par for an elegant, boutique hotel.  Be ready to carry your own bags.  Concierge service and bellmen would make it a truly 4-star experience.  Keep trying because a stay at Carnall Hall is truly something special for an Arkansas alum. 

[Inhogswetrust]

Tiger high has/had one in conjunction with Holiday Inn for their hospitality degree.

Yep. The the Holiday Inn company was founded by Kemmon Wilson in Memphis a long time ago. His family's company donated to have it built and their management company manages it in conjunction with the U of M. I've been to quite a few meetings and banquets there. It is not the best "on campus" hotel in the country though. Although the UM hospitality program is good there are other more highly rated hospitality schools in the US. The top rated in states close to Arkansas are at the University of Houston and Oklahoma State University. There are/were companies in Arkansas that were heavily involved in the growth of Holiday Inns. I remember when my wife and I first started dating and the original first Holiday Inn was still standing. It has since been torn down. It is sad it could not have been saved and be a National historic landmark.

[Inhogswetrust]

SI says Oklahoma State has one on campus. 

OSU has a very highly rated hospitality program. I've stayed in their on campus hotel. I had a mentor early in my hospitality career from Arkansas who's family was in the hotel business at one time. He graduated from there. He could tell some really funny stories about his time there also.

[Inhogswetrust]

there are indeed challenges but it has been done if a few instances.   The most successful is Houston.  Their Hospitality degree program known as Conrad Hilton College,  run a lot of it, so overhead reduced by involving education.
http://www.uh.edu/hilton-college/


another article on the challenges
http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Article/10876/Consistency-marks-college-hotel-markets

Houstons school for hospitality is generally considered one of the top 10 in the country.

[Inhogswetrust]

Not necessarily, but you do on game weekends. 

The Hotel was originally a women's dorm.  It is elegant in the same way that Old Main is elegant.  We don't build things that way anymore.  I've spent weeks at Carnall Hall while serving as a visiting professor at the law school and highly recommend it.  The only place I have found it to be lacking is in service, which is not up to par for an elegant, boutique hotel.  Be ready to carry your own bags.  Concierge service and bellmen would make it a truly 4-star experience.  Keep trying because a stay at Carnall Hall is truly something special for an Arkansas alum. 

I've stayed there and as a renovated building turned into a hotel it is nice. Of course I'm a little biased as my wife worked for one of the people involved with it from the beginning. That same person also did the Inn at the Mill.

[Pigsfeat]

Even Harding University in Searcy has a 50 room on campus hotel. I don't know what it is rated? Seems to me, the UofA could make some good money with a larger on campus hotel!

http://www.harding.edu/heritage

[Calling All Hogs]

I was just on the Auburn campus last weekend (I have a daughter the just graduated from there), and as we were driving across campus, lo and behold, they have what appears to be a very nice hotel on campus called "The Hotel at Auburn University."

I'm guessing the lobby houses the "Lucky Recruit Casino At Auburn University" 

[LZH]

I'm guessing the lobby houses the "Lucky Recruit Casino At Auburn University" 

"Welcome to the goodie room!"

[Inhogswetrust]

I'm guessing the lobby houses the "Lucky Recruit Casino At Auburn University" 

No IRS window there either........................

[Hognspace]

It could be an addition/ renovation to the broyles complex.   Lower levels could have team access areas to the field and other stadiums access.  the field side could include larger skybox style seating for large cooperate investors to buy condo style living/ meeting spaces for entertaining clients with outside covered seating.  A row of upper deck seating could wrap the stadium to complete the feel of the architecture.  There would be little need for anthing over 7-10 stories.  Finish the building with rooms like at Gulf Shores the Phoenix tower with balconies for game day rentals at a premium price.